Del's Shandy Shakes it Up

Hi Neighbor... have a Del's Pomagansett!

Beer is not something Americans like to fuss with. As experimental as the craft beer insurgence has gotten, beer remains... just beer, mostly immune to invasions by frippery.

Acceptable accoutrements are limited to a lime wedge for Mexican beer, and an orange slice for Belgian brews - or, in blue-collar and hipster bars alike, a shot of whiskey on the side. Anything else invites eye-rolls or outright insurrection.

Elsewhere in the world, though, beer “cocktails” are an integral part of drinking culture, especially in the summertime. Consider the shandy, a mix of beer and lemonade that’s hydrated thirsty, sweaty Brits since the 1800s. This summer, on domestic shores, the Narragansett Brewing Company teamed up with Del’s Lemonade to give the drink a Rhode Island accent - and a modern update, in the form of a ready-to-pour version that actually works. (See for counterpoint: Bud Light’s atrocious Lime-a-Rita line.)

To take those companies’ local lovefest a step further, we asked folks at Providence’s The Duck & Bunny to devise a cocktail application, and they delivered two. Get them at the D&B while they last, or DIY them at home.

Without a full liquor license, the Duck & Bunny crew has had to get imaginative with its cocktailery. As a showcase for their inventive, artisanal approach, this drink incorporates herbs from their own garden, as well as a house-made pomegranate grenadine. Home tinkerers can beg for their recipe, or try adding pomegranate juice to standard grenadine.